Sparks
by Angelic Prophecy
Summary: When Samantha Evans, a college professor with a fiery temper, joins the team hunting for the infamous Templar Treasure, sparks fly between her and her team-mates, and not in a good way! At least, not at first...
1. One

**Here's the first chapter of yet another OC story I'm trying out. Yes, I can hear some of you already. "Haven't you done enough?"**

**Well, I probably have, but there's always a way to improve things and make them better. This is one of those ideas that lodged itself in my brain and wouldn't let go, no matter how hard I tried to release it.**

**A special thanks to ****Jade Opal****, my awesome Beta reader! Thanks for your help, you rock!**

**Disclaimer: I have never owned and never will own National Treasure, its characters, plot, etc.**

**_-O-_**

"Now remember: this paper will make up a large portion of your grade, and it's due -"

The shrill ring of a bell pierced the air, interrupting the sentence. Professor Samantha Evans gave her students a weary smile.

"Well, you all should know the date by now. You are dismissed," She said to her class.

The many students filed out of the room, and Samantha sat down at her desk, sighing as she eyed the stacks of papers littering the top of it.

"A teacher's work is never done," She mumbled to herself, though she smiled as she spoke. She had a deep love of teaching, especially when it came to the art history class that she taught now. She had been teaching for almost 5 years, and had enjoyed every minute of it. When she was in college herself, she knew she would have to choose between American history and art history, and it hadn't been an easy choice. History was her other passion, though art eventually won her over in the long run.

She put on a pair of thin-framed reading glasses and began to dig into the mound of papers, biting her lip as she focused all of her attention on grading the papers. As soon as the last student left, the phone rang, interrupting what would have been total silence. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she picked up the receiver without looking up.

"This is Samantha Evans." She said into the phone, speaking with a light accent.

"_Hello Professor, am I interrupting anything?_"

A faint smile crossed her lips at the sound of the familiar voice. She took her glasses off, setting them on the desk.

"Ah, not at all, Mr. Gates. It's about time you called: I was beginning to think you'd dropped off the face of the earth."

"_I could say the same about you. I tried to call you, but you never answered. And is that a… French accent, I hear?"_

"Well, if you'd have answered any of _my_ calls, you'd have known I spent the last 9 months studying in Paris, Ben."

Samantha paused from writing for a moment, leaning back in her chair as she twisted the pen around in her fingers. "So I assume you've been busy as well? With the usual?"

"_Of course, Sam,_" She could practically hear the smile in his voice. "_That's actually what I was calling you about. You'll never believe this._"

"Believe what?" Samantha questioned, wondering what Ben had up his sleeve this time.

She thought back on all the times he'd called like this before, saying the two of them should head out to check out some new artifact or historical record that might have something to do with the clue.

"_I figured out what the _Charlotte_ is_."

Samantha froze, nearly dropping the phone from her ear. "Y-You figured out the clue?"

She stammered, her face blanched. The two of them had spent nearly 15 years trying to decipher it, only to end up hitting brick walls and dead ends. And he finally figured it out while she was gone? _'Story of my life.' _She thought to herself.

"_Yeah. Look, I'll explain everything to you over lunch. Could you meet me at Café Cannelle in ten minutes?_"

"I-I'll be there. See you then." She hung up the phone up the phone and rose to her feet in a daze. She grabbed her purse and her coat, leaving the room. She stopped only to tell her secretary where she was going, and she set off. Samantha started walking down the street, pausing to glance at herself in one of the store windows. She stopped walking, studying herself.

Her pale skin was offset by her darker auburn hair, which was piled up in a bun on the top of her head. She had piercing emerald eyes that could glare down the toughest person, but could still become soft and friendly in the same second. She had to admit-she looked younger than her 35 years, but she had never really cared much about her looks. Though she was a petite woman, anyone who knew the 5' 4" brunette would tell you she had a fiery temper and was a force to be reckoned with.

She started to walk again, her legs moving in quick, fluid strides as her high-heeled shoes clicked on the pavement. About 5 minutes later, she stepped into the café, where the smell of cinnamon and coffee was thick in the air. She glanced around the shop, memories flooding into her mind like raging waters. Samantha suddenly realized why Ben had chosen this little: It was where they had first met. The memory was so clear in her mind it felt like it had happened recently….

**(o)**

_A 14-year-old Samantha Evans stepped into Café Canelle, her back-pack slung over her shoulder. She bounced to the tune of the song that was playing over the radio as she walked up to the counter, ordering her usual: a cinnamon bun and a small cup of coffee. She glanced at the crowd. Many of them were familiar faces, and the place was packed. There was only one seat open, at the corner table. There was a boy sitting there by himself, his face hidden behind a book. Grabbing her coffee and her bun, she walked over to the table._

"_Excuse me?"_

_The boy didn't reply, and it seemed like he hadn't even heard the question._

"_Excuse me?"_

_He still didn't look up, and Samantha was getting annoyed. She set down her things on the table, sitting down. _

_Apparently the boy had noticed her seating herself and looked up from his book._

"_Can I help you?"_

"_I just needed a place to sit." Samantha said. She studied the boy's face carefully, trying to tell if she recognized him. Finally something clicked in her head._

"_Aren't you the history tutor that my friend Jennifer had? You're… You're the Gates kid, right?" _

_Some of the kids sitting at the surrounding tables snickered to themselves, and the boy looked up, his cheeks burning._

"_That'd be me." He sighed. "The 'crazy kid who believes in conspiracy theories'_."

"_I don't think you're crazy." Samantha stated. "That theory makes sense to me." _

_He blinked. _

"_Really?"_

_She nodded, leaning back in her seat. _

"_So…" She took a bite of her cinnamon bun, chewing it thoughtfully. "What's your name, treasure boy?" She smirked at him._

"_Ben Gates."_

"_Well, I'm Samantha Evans."_

**(o)**

Samantha finally snapped out of the memory, but a second too late. She started to go forward, until -

_SMACK!_

She found herself colliding with another person, and she let out a gasp as hot dark liquid rushed down the front of her white blouse. She looked from the coffee stain to the young man who'd walked into her, whose face had gone crimson as he picked up a pile of napkins, handing several to Samantha. She could feel color rising in her own cheeks.

"My blouse!" She managed to choke out. "Oh, this is going to stain!"

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention, if you need to have that dry cleaned, I could pay…" The boy babbled on as he wiped coffee off of the floor, while Samantha tended to her blouse.

She noted that he didn't look much older than any of her students, if he was even out of college at all. He appeared to be… 22, maybe a bit older? He also had a head of messy dark hair that reminded her of many of the young men in her class, who looked like they'd never go near a comb if their lives depended on it. She'd have laughed to herself at this thought, but she was too preoccupied by the babbling young man to even think about it.

"Don't worry about it," Samantha sighed. "I'm afraid I wasn't being attention either…" She tossed the wet napkins into a trash can, smoothing out her navy blue skirt.

"But, really, if I can do anything…"

The door to the shop opened, and just as someone stepped into the building, both of them looked up and cried out the same name in unison.

"Ben!"

**_-O-_**

**Well, it was relatively short, but it was just a bit of an introduction to Samantha. The next chapter will be a bit longer, and chapter 3 will start up with the movie's storyline.**

_**Chapter 2 Preview: **_

"Well I guess I should introduce you two formally," He smiled, motioning a hand at Samantha. "Riley, this is Samantha Evans, the friend of mine who helped start this search. Samantha, this is Riley Poole, our computer technician."

Samantha nearly choked on her coffee upon hearing these words. She looked at Riley for a moment, incredulous. Then she turned to Ben, searching his face for any sign that he was joking. He wasn't.


	2. Two

**Well, here's Chapter 2! Enjoy!**

**And by the way, just in case someone doesn't know, the territory of Nunavut is mentioned. That's a territory up in Northern Canada that goes up into the Arctic Circle. Just to let you know. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure, yeah. I also don't own the Louvre Museum, any of the paintings there, or any places in Canada.**

**And thanks to Danielle for beta-ing!**

(-\/-)

"Ben!"

Samantha looked up at her friend, observing him closely. He had changed since their last encounter, which had been a little over a year ago. His face appeared more serious, more worn, but he had a familiar twinkling in his eyes that had never changed over the past 20 years that she had known him. And she had feeling that it never would.

A faint smile crossed Ben's lips as his eyes fell on the pair who had called out his name.

"Samantha," He said by way of greeting, giving her a grin. Blue eyes met green, and she suddenly rushed forward, embracing him.

"Ben! You're looking very well." She released him, smiling brightly.

"You look good yourself. But what happened to your…?" Ben frowned slightly at the stain on her blouse.

Samantha sighed, jabbing a thumb towards the younger man beside her, who gave Ben a nervous wave.

"Hey Ben."

"Hey Riley. I see you're already trying to impress her with your grace," Ben teased, setting his coat down on one of the chairs.

Riley scowled in Ben's direction, and Ben laughed.

"Well I guess I should introduce you two formally," He smiled, motioning a hand at Samantha. "Riley, this is Samantha Evans, the friend of mine who helped start this search. Samantha, this is Riley Poole, our computer technician."

Samantha nearly choked on her coffee upon hearing these words. She looked at Riley for a moment, incredulous. Then she turned to Ben, searching has face for any sign that he was joking. He wasn't.

"Ah, Ben, could I speak with you privately for a moment?"

Without waiting for a response, Samantha grabbed Ben by the arm, pulling him into the corner.

"He's the technician?" Her voice sounded flat. "He's just a kid. Is he even out of college?"

"I'm 26!" Riley said, sounding slightly annoyed. Samantha gave him a smoldering look before turning back to Ben.

"Look, he might be a kid, but he _designed_ the tracking model we're going to be using and he's really good at this kind of stuff. Give him a break."

Samantha sighed, taking a seat at the table.

"So, Ben, tell me about _Charlotte_."

Ben shook his head, attempting to hide another grin.

"Patience, Samantha."

"Patience?! Benjamin Franklin Gates, you of all people should know that patience is a virtue that I do not possess!"

Ben chuckled.

"Ah, so Paris hasn't changed that about you, has it?" He shook his head again, a smile playing on his lips. "We're still waiting for one member of our team. Ian Howe. He's the one who's paying for this trip. He'll be joining us."

"Ian's coming?" Riley hardly looked pleased upon receiving this news. Ben rolled his eyes.

"What do you have against Ian?"

"Nothing, he just bothers me," The younger man shrugged, not looking Ben in the eye. The older man shrugged, turning to face Samantha.

"So, how was Paris?"

"Oh, it was beautiful, Ben!" She began to gush. "Paris is such a nice city, especially in the springtime, when the flowers are blooming. I must have looked at everything there is to see! I went sight-seeing nearly every day, there's so much culture. And I got to see _La Gioconda!"_

"What?" Riley was apparently not familiar with the name.

"Mona Lisa! And Madonna of the Rocks, and so many other beautiful painting, it was an art lover's heaven!"

"What'd you think of the Louvre?"

Samantha opened her mouth to respond when the door opened again, and the cool April air rushed into the shop. The newest customer was a taller man with shaggy blonde hair, wearing a nice suit. In fact, everyone in their little group was wearing formal looking clothing, except for Riley, who was wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

"Ben." The blonde man walked over to the table, shaking Ben's hand.

Samantha noticed he had a British accent.

"Nice to see you again. Riley." He gave the young man a nod, and Riley returned the gesture, though he looked much less pleased to see the man then Ben had.

The Brit then turned to Samantha, who had risen to her feet to greet the newcomer.

"And who might you be?"

"Samantha Evans," She gave Ian a small smile.

"You're from Paris," He noted with a smile.

"No, I just spent the last few months there."

"Ah, yes, well, Ben told me quite a bit about you. However, it seems he forgot to mention how pretty you are," Ian took her hand in his, bringing the back of her hand to his lips. "Ian Howe."

Samantha turned a soft shade of pink.

"Thank you, Mr. Howe; it's a pleasure to meet you," She gave him a soft smile, and they both seated themselves.

"Well, since we're all here, let's get down to business," Ben announced, trying not to speak too loudly and bring attention to the small group. "Riley, did you bring the map of the location?"

Riley nodded wordlessly, opening up the backpack that sat at his feet. He pulled out a large sheet of paper and set it on the table for everyone to look at.

"It's in Northeastern Nunavut, but it's rather far from the coast. This thing wasn't easy to track down, but I did it," He looked rather proud of himself as he made this announcement. "There's a village about 30 miles away from the site. I just don't know how to pronounce its name. Anyways, we should be able to take the snow-mobiles the rest of the way. And those have been taken care of, by the way."

"Wait, a second, I'm confused," Samantha spoke up. "What exactly are we looking for? I thought Charlotte was a person."

Ben shook his head.

"I thought so too, but it turns out she was a ship. She left Boston in the mid-1700's, heading for London, but her course was changed by a massive storm and she ended up in Canada."

"Oh, Samantha sat back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. "When did you figure this out?"

"About 3 or 4 months ago," Riley shrugged, tucking the map back into his backpack.

"Next order of business," Ben announced. "Ian, did you contact your partners?"

"Yes I did. We have enough funds for all of our supplies and the other costs. We'll be able to leave on the 22nd, and we should be able to return by the 25th."

Ben nodded.

"So, we have two weeks?" Samantha figured. "How much preparing will we have to do?"

"Not much, we'll just need to get basic supplies for living and extra clothing," Ben turned back Ian. "You mentioned you would be bringing along a few men to help with the excavation?"

"Ah, yes, I'll be bringing along a team of several men to help with the digging," Ian nodded.

"So, that's it?" Samantha asked, surprised. "I figured there'd be some long drawn out discussion about all of the details."

"Well, everything has been set up, so that won't be necessary," Ben explained.

"Well then…" Samantha stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "I've got to get back to the school. I've got another class in an hour and I still have lots of preparing to do. I will see you all in two weeks, gentlemen. And Riley."

Riley rolled his eyes at her, and she smirked at him. Giving one last wave to Ben, she walked out the door.

She was halfway down the sidewalk when she realized she'd forgotten her jacket. She turned to get it, and was surprised to see Riley standing outside the shop, her jacket in his hands.

"Forget something?" It was his turn to smirk. Samantha reached to take the jacket from him, but he pulled it back, making a tsk-ing sound "What's the magic word?"

The annoyed female snatched the jacket from Riley's hands with out a word.

"Thank you," She threw the words over her shoulder, already walking away. She noticed that her hands had balled up into fists, and she was gritting her teeth, more than slightly annoyed.

'_Why do I get the feeling this trip is going to be a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be?'_

**(-\/-)**

**Thanks for readings! Please review!! : )**

_**Chapter 3 Preview:**_

"_What happens when the flare burns down, Ben?" Ian asked tauntingly. "Just tell me what I need to know."_

"_You need to know…" Ben paused, thinking. "If Shaw can catch!" He threw the flare into the air, and everyone held their breath as Ian reached up and caught it carefully._

"_Nice try, Ben…" Suddenly Ian's coat burst into flames, and he let out a shout of pain as the flare fell to the ground. Samantha let out a scream that echoed off of the walls of the small cargo hold. _

_Fire: She had hated it since she was a young girl, just 6 years-old. The fear still had a tight grip on her, and she was paralyzed with fear as flames began to leap around her and acrid smoke filled her lungs. She remained in the shocked daze until she felt Riley pulling on her arm, tugging her towards where Ben stood. _

"_Come on, we've got to go!"_


	3. Three

**Yay, Chapter 3! I know, it's been a while since I updated. **

**Thankies to my awesome beta,Jade Opal, who was nice enough to help me even though she was sick! Thank you!! -gives beta e-cookie-**

**Yeah, National Treasure? It's not mine. **

**(-\/-)**

Two weeks later, Samantha found herself in the back of a snow-mobile, staring down at the book that sat on her lap. She wasn't reading it though; she was too jumpy to concentrate on the book at all. The excitement of actually being able to uncover the _Charlotte _was catching up to her suddenly. She hadn't slept a wink the night before.

Samantha snapped the book shut, tucking it into a small bag at her feet. She stared out at the wasteland of snow, pulling her navy blue parka closer to her body for warmth. She always loved snow, but this was too much of a good thing. The snow was _everywhere_.

The ride this far had been totally silent, with the exception of Riley tapping away on his laptop, which made the occasional beeping noise. Everyone was much too nervous to talk about anything. Samantha looked up towards the front, noticing the thoughtful expression on Ben's face.

"What're you thinking of, Ben?"

Ben looked up from the snow, a smile crossing his lips.

"I was actually thinking of Henson and Perry. They had to cross this kind of terrain on sleds or on foot… Can you imagine it?"

"It's extraordinary," Ian breathed.

"It must have taken a long while," Samantha added, and Ben nodded. Everything returned to silence until Riley's computer let out a small noise, causing Samantha to jump slightly.

"Are we getting any closer?" Ian asked.

"If Ben's theory is correct and my tracking model is accurate, we should be _very _close," He paused for a moment. "Then again, don't go by me. I broke my shoelace this morning."

Everyone else gave him a strange look, confused.

"It's a bad omen," He said, as if that explained. Samantha raised an amused eyebrow.

"Superstitious, are we?"

"Yes, actually, I am. Do you have a problem with that?" He sounded annoyed. Samantha rolled her eyes, shaking her head to herself.

"Maybe, we should go home then…" Ian suggested.

"Nah, let's just throw him out here," Ben replied with a smirk. Samantha hid a laugh behind her hand, and Riley shot her a look.

"Yeah, thank guys."

"You aren't missing that lovely cubicle of yours, are you?" Ben teased.

"No, absolutely not!" Riley shook his head, grinning. His laptop let another shrill beep, though this was different than the others. "Destination reached!" He cried out triumphantly. Everyone exchanged excited and nervous glances as Ben slowed down the vehicle. Samantha opened her door, taking a deep breath as the frigid air crackled in her lungs.

"Why are we stopping?" An accented voice spoke from the vehicle that had stopped beside them. Samantha looked at Shaw, one of Ian's companions, as he spoke. "I thought we were looking for a ship."

"There's no ship," Another one of Ian's men had spoken up.

"Oh, she's out there," Ben answered confidently, his face set with a determined expression. He hopped out of the snow-mobile, retrieving several metal detectors from the back. "Here, everyone take one!"

Samantha took one from Ben and eagerly set to work, following the others out into the expansive desert of snow. After a few minutes, she began to feel disappointment starting to form. She looked around, noticing that no one else seemed to be finding anything either. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben stop in his tracks.

"Ben, did you find something?"

He nodded excitedly and Samantha was beside him in an instant. Ben's pick-axe went through the snow, and there was a _clank_, the sound of metal on metal. The two were immediately on their knees, digging away several inches of frozen snow until they saw the metal plate that had been beneath the snow. Ben extracted a bottle of water from his pocket, and melted away the remaining snow. Samantha's breath caught in her throat.

"_Charlotte,_" She whispered, looking at Ben as tears formed in her eyes. "This is it. You did it, Ben."

"_We_ did it," Ben corrected with a smile. Samantha laughed, looking down at the name plate on the ship.

"Hello, beautiful."

(-\/-)

Several hours later, the ship had finally been brought to the surface. Samantha stood near the front, running a gloved hand over the figurehead of the ship.

"Ben, look at this," She whispered excitedly. "It's beautiful, and it's still intact. It's extraordinary!"

Ben nodded with a smile.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you, Sami."

"For what?" She looked up from the figurehead, a bit surprised.

"For everything—if you hadn't supported me and helped me out so much I'd have never gotten this far," Ben admitted, his breath coming out in visible puffs as he spoke. Samantha shook her head, gently pulling her hand away from the figurehead.

"No, you'd have found it without my help. You're much too determined to just give up," She offered him a smile. "I knew the treasure wasn't something you'd have to be totally crazy to believe in. Either that, or I'm just as insane as you are."

Ben laughed, and the pair stepped up onto the deck of the ship.

"Alright, let's go!" Ben announced. Everyone filed into the depths of the ship, which seemed to glow a soft blue color as sunlight came in through tiny cracks in the deck and seemed to shine off of the frozen interior. Samantha held her breath as she looked around in amazement. They went in deeper still, and the air seemed to get colder, if that were possible. Suddenly there were shouts from the other end of the hold.

"Ahh! Oh God! AHH!" Riley had fallen onto the floor at the sight of one of the ship's frozen crew-members. Samantha attempted, without success, to suppress her laughter.

"You handled that well," Ben commented dryly as he helped the younger man to his feet.

Ben headed for a door, feeling along the door for the handle.

"This is it. The cargo hold."

He lifted frozen handle out of its place and the door swung open to reveal a room full of barrels. Samantha could feel her smile fading from her face.

'_This can't be it.' _

"You think it's in the barrels?" Riley suggested half-jokingly. Everyone spread out across the room, breaking open a few barrels. Samantha looked down at the dark powdery substance, unable to conceal her disappointment.

"It's just gunpowder."

She sat down on a barrel, her heart sinking.

'_Don't tell me we came all this way for another dead end…'_

Ben's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I think I've found something!"

Samantha stood up, hurrying over to where Ben was standing as she peered over his shoulder. He carefully opened the lid of the box and took a sharp breath in. In the box sat a delicately carved ivory pipe. Ben lifted it up gently, showing it to everyone.

"You guys know what this is?" He could barely contain his excitement.

"A billion dollar pipe?" Riley guessed.

"It's a meerschaum pipe," Samantha carefully took from Ben, examining it closely. "Oh, look at it, Ben… It's beautiful."

"Is it a million dollar pipe?" Riley pressed.

"No, it's a clue," Ben said triumphantly. Samantha pointed at the stem.

"Look, there are raised letters on it…"

"Anyone bring an inkpad up here to the Arctic?" Riley asked sarcastically. "Nope, didn't think so."

Ben looked at it thoughtfully, and then reached into his pocket, extracting the pocketknife he'd brought along.

"Hmm, I wonder…" He reached into his other pocket, pulling out a small notebook, handing it to Ian. He took the pipe from Samantha's hands, gently removing the stem of the pipe.

"Don't break it!" Riley shouted, aghast.

"We're one step closer to the treasure, everyone," Ben announced proudly.

Ian couldn't hide his dismay.

"I thought you said the treasure would be on the _Charlotte_."

"I said it could be here," Ben corrected.

He flipped open the pocket knife, pressing the tip of the blade into his thumb. Samantha let out a gasp as the cut began to bleed.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Makeshift ink," Ben replied, rubbing his bleeding thumb along the pipe's stem.

He gently pressed it down on the paper, rolling it down.

"Templar symbols…" He murmured to no one in particular.

"What does it say?" Shaw demanded impatiently.

"_The legend writ, the stain affected… The key in Silence undetected… 56 in iron pen… Mr. Matlack can't offend._"

There was a moment of stunned silence as the words hung in the air.

"It's a riddle, isn't it?" Samantha asked.

'_I should've known it would never be that easy.'_

Ben nodded, beginning to pace around the small hold as he spoke to himself.

"'The legend'… What legend… The legend of the Templar Treasure? And the stain affects the legend… How does it…" He looked around, not paying the slightest bit of attention to anything but his thoughts. "'The Key in Silence'… The legend, and the key… Well, that's something. A map. Maps have legends, maps have keys. It's an invisible map…"

"Invisible?" Samantha spoke up. "What would give the idea that it's invisible?"

"Well, 'the stain affected' could refer to a dye or reagent used to bring about a certain result. The implication is to make something that's undetectable, detectable," Ben paused. "Maybe 'the key in Silence' is…"

"Prison?" Shaw suggested.

Everyone turned and looked at him, confused.

"Albuquerque," Riley said dryly. "See, I can play that game too. Snorkel."

"Well he said 'iron pen'. An 'iron pen' has to be a prison," Shaw reasoned.

"He does make a good point," Samantha shrugged.

"Or, maybe since the main ink used for writing in that time was iron gall ink, the pen is… Just a pen. But then why say iron pen?"

"Because it's a prison." Shaw muttered.

"Wait a minute, it doesn't describe the ink in the pen! It describes _what _was penned. It was iron, it was firm, it was mineral… No, no, that's stupid… It was firm, it was adamant, it was resolved." Ben stopped abruptly, as though he'd just discovered something. "It was resolved."

"Resolved?" Ian questioned, appearing confused. "What does that mean?"

"'56 in iron pen, Mr. Matlack can't offend.' Timothy Matlack was the official scribe of the Continental Congress. To make sure he could not offend the map, it was put on the back of a resolution that he transcribed, which happens to have been signed by 56 men."

"The Declaration of Independence?" Samantha answered quietly, her eyes wide. Ben nodded slowly, and Riley chuckled to himself as if Ben had just told a joke.

"Come on, there's no invisible map on the back of the Declaration of Independence."

"It's clever, really," Ian remarked. "A document of that importance would ensure the map's survival. And you said several Masons signed it, right?"

"Nine for sure," Ben replied quietly, and there was another brief silence.

"What do we do now?" Samantha asked.

"We'll have to arrange a way to examine it," Ian said, sounding a bit too nonchalant about it.

"There's no way they'll let us do that, Ian," She said, growing frustrated. "It's one of the most important documents in the history of the United States!"

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know!" Samantha and Ben cried out simultaneously. They exchanged glances.

"We could borrow it."

Ben's head snapped up. "Steal it? There's no way."

"Ben, there's no other way. Like she said, there's no way they'll _let _us get to the document. That means we'll have to take this into our own hands."

"Ian," Ben looked fiercely at his partner. "I'm not going to let you steal the Declaration of Independence!"

Ian looked at Ben, looking like he'd been betrayed.

"Well, then I guess you're going to be no help to me now," He motioned to Shaw, who pulled a gun out of his jacket, pointing it straight at Ben. Samantha stifled a gasp behind her hand, looking on with wide eyes, while Riley shouted out in protest.

"You really think you could just shoot me right here, Shaw?" Ben asked, and Shaw smirked. "Well that's not going to happen. There's more to the clue that only I can figure out. You need me."

"Ben, you're going to help me," Ian ordered. "Or else I'll shoot your girlfriend."

Shaw moved the gun towards Samantha, and she froze, paralyzed in fear as she stared down the barrel of the gun. Her eyes met Ben's and sent him a clear message. '_Do something!'_

There was a sudden crackling noise, and Shaw turned back to Ben, seeing him holding a flare in his hands.

"Ben…" There was a warning tone in Riley's voice. Samantha's eyes had grown even wider, and they were fixated on the burning flare in Ben's hand.

"Look where you're standing," Ben spoke to Ian calmly. "You shoot me, I drop this, and all that gunpowder goes up, and all of along with it."

"What happens when the flare burns down, Ben?" Ian asked tauntingly. "Just tell me what I need to know."

"You need to know…" Ben paused, thinking. "If Shaw can catch!" He threw the flare into the air, and everyone held their breath as Ian reached up and caught it carefully.

"Nice try, Ben…" Suddenly Ian's coat burst into flames, and he let out a shout of pain as the flare fell to the ground. Samantha let out a scream that echoed off of the walls of the small cargo hold.

Fire. She had hated it since she was a young girl, just 6 years-old. The fear still had a tight grip on her, and she was paralyzed with fear as flames began to leap around her and acrid smoke filled her lungs. She remained in the shocked daze until she felt Riley pulling on her arm, tugging her towards where Ben stood.

"Come on, we've got to go!"

"Hurry up, you guys!" Ben sounded desperate.

"What is this?" Riley shouted over the roar of the fire.

"Smuggler's hold! Just get in!" Ben ordered. Samantha numbly lowered herself into the hole, crawling through the narrow passageway on her knees. She could feel the heat from above on her back. She crawled farther still into the ending of the passageway. She felt Ben push her onto the ground and she fell face first into the snow. She felt Ben's weight above her and she realized that he was acting as a human shield.

Barely a second later, her ears popped as the ship exploded, and she fell into the blackness as she lost consciousness.

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**Oh, long chapter, wasn't it? Do I get a review? It'd make me smile!! **

**Chapter 4 Preview:**

_"Could it really be possible?" She whispered to herself, staring through the glass. Who would have thought the search for the treasure would bring them here, of all places?_

_ She reflected on the men who'd signed the Declaration, who could have sealed their own fates with the stroke of the pen. Ben's words from earlier echoed in her head._

_'I swear on my life I will stop him. No matter what it takes'_

_A gasp suddenly escaped her lips. He'd said the Archives would be their final stop. How far would Ben go to protect the Declaration? Would he… No, she couldn't even think that. Ben would never take things that far. Would he? _


	4. Four

**Sorry, I've been kind of forgetting to update this one, so I'm putting up two chapters! Enjoy! ^^**

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Samantha turned the key in the door and let it swing open, stepping into Ben's apartment. It was small, but it was clean and comfortable. She dropped her suitcase on the floor, collapsing onto the small tan couch that matched the walls.

"Finally. Home at last," She paused. "Well, not _home,_ but it's close enough."

Ben laughed, taking his suitcase into the bedroom. He returned to the living room, sitting in a chair.

"Let's get to the important issue," he said.

"How're we going to stop him?" Samantha asked with a sigh. "You know what he's capable of. We can't have him busting into the National Archives."

"I know," Ben stared down at the floor, his face determined. "We're going to stop him. We need to warn someone."

"Who do we tell?"

"Anyone and everyone who can do anything to stop him," Ben replied firmly, now staring deep into her eyes. "He's not going to get away with this. I swear on my life I _will_ stop him. No matter what it takes," He paused. "No matter _what_ it takes."

"Well, now that that's decided, how about dinner?" Riley suggested. Samantha rolled her eyes.

"Leave it to you to bring up food at a time like this."

"All I've had all day is a handful of peanuts on the plane."

"I'm not hungry," Ben replied half-heartedly, too focused on the situation to even think about food.

He went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Samantha sighed deeply. She couldn't help but worry about him.

'_Maybe Riley's actually right. Maybe I ought to cook something; cooking will help get my mind off things'._

She was already on her feet, heading into the kitchen. She opened the cabinets, only to find them rather empty except for a few packages of flour and the like. She frowned.

'_Does Ben ever eat?'_

"Looks like we're getting pizza."

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Samantha smoothed out her skirt, trying to wait patiently, unlike Riley, who was fidgeting in his chair.

"Stop it," she commanded under her breath, not trying to draw any attention to the little group.

There were already enough people staring as it was, though she couldn't fathom why. Was it really so strange for three people to be waiting for an FBI agent?

She was about to start wondering about this in her head when their agent appeared. He looked younger than the others they'd seen, and he had short brown hair and a polite smile.

'_This can't be too bad, can it?'_

"Mr. Gates?" The young agent stepped forward, shaking Ben's hand. "I'm Andrew Hendricks. You three come with me, and we'll discuss the matter that you brought up."

The group followed Agent Hendricks to his tiny little office and seated themselves, exchanging looks. Hendricks seemed like a rookie to them.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, sir, I'm going to get straight to the point. Someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

The man's mouth fell open into an 'O' of surprise. Then he snapped his jaw shut.

"Mr. Gates, I'm afraid that's not possible," He said, leaning forward across his desk. "The Declaration of Independence is heavily guarded. There's no way it could possibly be stolen."

Samantha watched as Ben shifted in his seat. He'd obviously been expecting such a response.

"My friends and I are less certain," He said slowly. "However, we might be able to see if the document was in any danger if we were given the privilege of examining it."

Now she was unsure whether the rookie was amused or enraged.

"What exactly do you think you're going to find, Mr. Gates?"

"We believe there is an…encryption on the back," Now Ben was clearly uncomfortable.

Samantha could tell from his hesitation and his body language that they both knew this would not end well.

"What sort of encryption?"

"C-Cartograph," Ben stammered, stumbling over his words.

Samantha winced.

"A map," The agent translated. "A map of what, exactly?"

"The location of hidden items…"

Before Ben could finish, Hendricks had snapped a file folder shut, a look of anger crossing his face.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gates, but I'm afraid we have no time for people who are off in search of buried treasure. There is _no _map on the Declaration of Independence," The note of finality in his voice clearly meant he was finished talking.

The three stood up, thanked him, and left the building.

"Is it really so hard to believe that someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence?!" Riley appeared to be fuming.

"I don't suppose us telling him about our treasure map theory didn't help much," Samantha said thoughtfully. "We got a little farther with Homeland Security, at least."

"The FBI gets 10,000 tips a week, Riley. They're not going to worry about something they're sure is safe."

"Face it, Ben; no one is going to listen," Riley said, sounding extremely frustrated. "They all think we're crazy. Anyone crazy enough to believe us couldn't do anything to help."

"We don't need someone crazy, but someone _one step short _of crazy. What do you get?"

It sounded like a riddle. A smile crossed Samantha's lips, because she'd heard this one before.

"Passionate," She said with a grin, following Ben as they both walked away in long strides.

"Well, who's passionate about ancient documents?!" Riley cried, struggling to keep up.

Ben smiled vaguely to himself. "I think I know someone."

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The National Archives had always been one of Samantha's favorite places. It was spacious, large, and a beautiful building. Plus, it brought her too favorite things together. Not only did the place have so much history, but each document seemed like a piece of art to her, with the flowing calligraphy and perfectly beautiful parchment. It was heaven.

She stepped into the small waiting area, as the three of them were now going to speak with the Director of Document Conservation. But Samantha froze when she read the name on the front of the door, her jaw clenching.

'_How could I have forgotten?'_

"I… I think I'm going to sit this one out, Ben."

"Why?" Ben looked confused. "Everything OK?"

"Yeah, I just…" She struggled for the words. "Abigail and I don't get along."

"_Abigail_?" Riley repeated in disbelief. "It's a girl?"

Samantha nodded. "Yes. And besides, she knows me. She'd probably get me in trouble with someone if I walked into her office trying to convince her someone was after the Declaration of Independence."

'_It'd probably be better not to mention that she hates me already.'_

"I'll just wait in the other room," She sighed, and then offered Ben a smile. "Good luck. You might need it."

She slid out of the office quietly, walking back to the large rotunda. No specific destination in mind, she found that her legs had carried her right to the Declaration's case.

"Could it really be possible?" She whispered to herself, staring through the glass. Who would have thought the search for the treasure would bring them _here_,__of all places?

She reflected on the men who'd signed the Declaration, who could have sealed their own fates with the stroke of the pen. Ben's words from earlier echoed in her head.

'_I swear on my life I will stop him. No matter what it takes'_

A gasp suddenly escaped her lips. He'd said the Archives would be their final stop. How far would Ben go to protect the Declaration? Would he… No, she couldn't even think that. Ben would never take things _that_ far. Would he?

The wait seemed like an eternity, though in reality it was only about ten minutes. Finally she heard Ben and Riley's voices.

"If it's any consolation, you had me convinced."

"It's not," Ben's voice sounded dull, and Samantha realized that his last attempt had also been a failure. Her heart sank.

"What do we do now, Ben?" She looked at him, her green eyes pleading. He seemed to avoid the question.

"180 years of searching and I'm only 3 feet away from the solution," He paused. "There's a line here that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new guards for their future security.'"

"Ben, please speak English," Riley sighed.

"It means if something's wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the _responsibility_ to take action," Ben paused, his eyes carefully studying the faded parchment and the 56 signatures that sat at the bottom.

His next words were barely a whisper, but to Samantha, it felt like he'd screamed them in her ear.

"I'm going to steal it."

Her heart stopped, her mouth going dry. "W-What?"

Ben's gaze was firm as he locked with eyes with her, and then turned away. "I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

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**Chapter 5 Preview:**

"_Samantha, please, we've been in this together from the beginning. After everything we accomplished together, you're just going to let that go? I need you to help me, and you're just walking away?" His voice had a pleading edge._

"_What other choice do I have?" She choked on the words, stubbornly staring the opposite direction._

"_You could help me."_

"_I…I'm sorry, Ben," She pulled her arm from his grip and walked away, leaving a stunned Ben behind her._


	5. Five

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"Benjamin Gates, are you _insane_?!" Samantha's green eyes were dark with fury, her accent growing thick in her throat as her temper rose. "How could you even think…?" She trailed off, collapsing onto the marble steps. She took a deep breath, burying her face in her hands.

"You _are_ going to go to prison for this, you know that, right?" Riley pointed out. Ben sighed deeply, putting a hand to his forehead for a second before it dropped.

"Word about the map is bound to get out," He said quickly. "The only way to protect the Declaration _is_ to steal it."

"Ben, for God's sake!" Riley jumped to his feet, his frustration evident. "It's like stealing a national monument! It's like stealing that statue of Lincoln behind you. It can't be done! I…" He closed his eyes, frustrated. "Let me prove it to you." Riley challenged, and then walked off without another word.

Samantha remained rooted in place; she clasped her hands together, eyes closed.

"Sam…" Ben spoke gently. "I _need_ to do this. There are no other options. If I don't get the Declaration, Ian will. This is the only way to save it."

"No," Her voice was shockingly soft, even to her own ears.

"'No' what?"

"_Mon_ _Dieu_, I can't do this!" Her emerald orbs snapped open as she attempted, without success, to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "I honestly wish I could do something, but I can't, Ben. I could lose everything…"

"And I can't?" Ben snapped, suddenly irritated.

"I know, but it's… It's too dangerous Ben, you know that. And you of all people should know how important my job is to me…" Her throat closed up again unexpectedly. "I'm sorry Ben. Good luck."

She stood to leave, fighting back tears.

'_What am I crying for?'_

She felt Ben grab her arm, but she didn't turn around.

"Samantha, please, we've been in this _together _from the beginning. After everything we accomplished together, you're just going to let that go? I need you to help me, and you're just walking away?" His voice had a pleading edge.

"What other choice do I have?" She choked on the words, stubbornly staring the opposite direction.

"You could help me."

"I…I'm sorry, Ben," She pulled her arm from his grip and walked away, leaving a stunned Ben behind her.

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Ever since she'd walked away, Samantha was wondering if she'd made the wrong decision. There was a message from Ben waiting for her everyday when she got home from work. Through these messages, she got the gist of his plan: They were going to do it next weekend, at the 70th anniversary gala at the Archives.

As each day passed, she began to feel more and more guilty as Ben's messages seemed to become more desperate, trying to change her mind.

'_He really needs my help.'_

The thought of the Archives gala reminded her of something. She stared blankly at the envelope that she had not touched since she'd retrieved it from the mailbox almost a week ago. It sat there on the kitchen counter, a constantly nagging reminder.

Finally, about 3 days before the gala, she snatched the bright white envelope off of the counter. Before she knew what she had decided to do, she was knocking on the door to Ben's apartment, which was opened by a surprised looking Riley.

Without saying one word, Samantha pushed past him and approached the couch where Ben sat, totally involved in the book on his lap. She dropped the envelope, and his head snapped up in surprise.

"Sam?"

"This is going to sound _highly_ uncharacteristic of me, but_ screw _my job." She couldn't help but grin as Ben's mouth fell open.

"I've been with you longer than I have with them, and I'm not letting you do this without my help, Ben."

Ben's shocked face dissolved into a grin that mirrored Samantha's.

"Well, then welcome back, Miss Evans."

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The night of the gala came faster than any of them had expected. But only two days later, Samantha was at Ben's apartment again, only this time she was dressed more extravagantly. She wore a cream colored dress and a white shawl around her shoulders, covering her upper arms. The light colors set her auburn hair blazing and made her eyes stand out brightly.

Once again, Riley was the one to open the door.

"Wow, you clean up nice," He teased with a smirk.

"Thanks, wish I could say the same for you."

"Oh, that hurts right here," Riley put a hand to his heart, pretending to be offended.

Samantha rolled her eyes, stepping in the door.

"I assume Ben's still getting ready?"

"Yeah, he's taking forever," Riley groaned. He pounded on the bedroom door. "Ben, come on! We don't have all night!"

At that moment, Ben opened the door, stepping out in crisp, clean tux. Samantha gasped.

"Nice tux. Where'd you rent it from?"

"I own it."

Samantha stopped short. "You _bought _that thing?"

"I might need it again someday," Ben shrugged. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes, yes, we're ready to go," Riley sighed. "Let's get this over with. I hope we don't have to do anything like it _ever_ again."

"You never know," Ben said with a grin, holding his arm out for Samantha. She took it and the threesome set out on their grand mission.

The ride to the gala was exceptionally silent, with the exception of Riley's constant begging Ben to re-consider and Ben's adamant refusals. Samantha sighed, nervously twisting a stray strand of hair between her fingers.

"Ben, come on…"

"Too late, we're here," Ben grinned, patting Riley on the shoulder. "Everything will be fine, Riley. Nothing to worry about." He stepped out of the van, opening Samantha's door.

"And here I thought chivalry was dead," She cocked her to the side, giving Riley a little wave. "Good luck, Riley."

"Yeah, thanks," He replied dully. "I'm going to need it."

Samantha shrugged, stepping out into the cool April air. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Let's do this, Ben. It's now or never, right?"

"You're not kidding," Ben muttered, leading her across the street. "Now or never."

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**Chapter 6 Preview: **

"_Ben, are you sure we should do this?" She looked around the deserted hallway, green eyes pleading._

"_We've come too far to back out now, haven't we?" Ben forced a bitter chuckle, pulling back the keyboard slowly. Samantha stared at him, her eyes filling with unexpected tears. Ben looked up, his gaze filled with concern. "What?"_

"_We're in deep, aren't we? In over our heads?" He voice wavered._

"_In more ways than one." Ben said slowly, his gaze burning into hers. "In more ways than one."_


End file.
